Silent Warning
by StarSword17
Summary: Full summary inside.The Sohma's are in trouble...their secret has been discovered by the worst possible people and another cursed family has been all but destroyed, save 1 survivor. Can they survive with the survivors help? Or will they too be destroyed?
1. Chapter 1

Introduction, Summary and Disclaimer:

Hiya, welcome to my first ever Fruba fanfic, I've read the manga and I have seen little of the show so its based off what I have read in the manga, not the anime. Anyway on the summary...

Unfortunatly for the Sohma and Sadnesan clans, their families have always been cursed by vengeful animal spirits and the Sohma clan thirteen spirits only. Yet both their secrets has been rooted out by the worst people to learn such a terrible truth. These fenatics see both Sohma and Sadnesan alike as abominations against nature and naturally wish to erradicate them. Sadly at this point in the story, the Sadensan clan has all but been destroyed, the only survivor being Serki. She wants to protect and warn those who are next on the list, the Sohmas, yet she didn't survive the night of her families destruction without old wounds, both in mind and body and her strength is waining...can she help protect the Sohmas before they are destroyed or will she fall before that happens?

Disclaimer: I'll only say this once. Fruits Basket is not mine, and I do not own any characters from Fruits Basket. Thank you.

* * *

She ran through the forest as fast as her tired and wounded body would allow. Serki had to put as much distance between herself and the two burly thugs who persued her. She ran with everything she had as her mind raced in thought of this.

_How did they find me? I thought leaving my clan's former home would be safer, this city, Tokyo, would be safer, I could disappear and search out the ones I needed to find. Why were they still hunting me? How'd they know I wasn't dead and that I survived that horrible night, the extermination of my Sadnesan clan? HOW? And why? Why attack us? Was being of a clan of people who transformed into a single animal they were cursed with from birth warrant to exterminate us. How could our secret have been found out and in such disasterous way. I'm the last one and they still hunt me..._she thought as she demanded more of herself as she swirved through the trees..._just a little deeper and then I can transform and at least knock them out, question them and then decide..._

Then a root, as though some cruel deity with the world's worst sense humor had placed it there, reached up and snagged her foot, causing the chase to come to a crashing stop. She turned around on the ground in time to see the two panting thugs come to a stop, openly smirking. There would be no escape their eyes laughed.

_Really? _she thought in answer as she willed herself to change. As weak as she was, she'd only have one breif window of oppurtunity to disable them and flee before she turned back.

She fealt golden-brown fur ripple along her body and her entire form become suddenly much more flexible and agile and the growth of fangs and claws, well capable of killing these two idiots, if she felt so inclined. Instead as a fully grown mountain lion, she gave a full bellied roar that made water on the tree leaves tremble at her voice.

"Don't think that big cat form can save you, abomination, we have something that can make you sleep for a very long time!" The apparent leader of the two laughed after the display as he pulled a pistol out of his jacket and leveled it squarely at heart level, "You die here, scum. You animal turning freaks have no place in society or a right to live."

"Who are you to judge what is scum and whose place is what?" A deadly calm but clearly angry voice growled as a boy with violet eyes and silver-grey hair emerged from a tree from her right.

"Did you really think we'd allow someone to commit murder in our own back yard, you bastards?" another orange haired boy demanded as he emerged from the left.

"There's nothing here the world would lament loosing. Go home boys, we have a monster to exterminate and boys like you have no business with men's work like this. This creature must die." the leader spat.

"Go you two," Serki whispered so the boys could hear her, "My life isn't worth the waste of your own. But do me a favor, warn the Sohmas that they are in danger from my murders."

"I'm not leaving and I am a Sohma. Same with Kyo." the violet eyed boy replied, "I am not going anywhere. You have no business taking a life for whatever chalked up reason you have." he said so the two thugs could hear.

Serki sighed in disgust. Typical boys, just like her brothers, so stubborn, idyically brave...she choked back her tears, she wouldn't go through this again...

Instead, she leapt over the boys to land squarely behind the thugs and jumped on the back of the leader, using all the weight of her lion form to force him to the ground as the other boy, Kyo attacked his accomplice.

The man, she noticed, went down hard and was still. The leader still struggled under her weight, "You aren't getting away from me. As a mountain lion, I weigh more than you ever will. Now then, you have a few questions to answer for me. Who learned the Sadensan clan secret? Who hired the mercenaries the destroyed the Sadensan compound in Yokohama? Who hired you and your partner? Why is killing off any cursed by vengeful spirits so important to you, what have you and whoever you work for to gain?"

She was getting weaker and soon she'd shift out of this form, but not until she got some answers.

"I'm telling you nothing! Though be warned, there are more of us. We'll hunt down every last one of you till there are none of you animal shifting freaks left alive." he snorted in contempt.

It was then that the violet eyed boy decided to knock the man she'd been crouching on unconcious.

"Thank you, he was getting annoying," she laughed weakly as she stepped away from him, "If he's Sohma Kyo and you are?"

"I'm Sohma Yuki and you are?" he replied.

"I am Sadnesan Serki and now," she began, "You and Kyo must forget you ever saw me here tonight. Sohma you may be, but you don't need to be involved in this."

She was prepared to erase their memories when her body decided it was time to become human again and the thin and tight clothing she wore under her normal, now discarded clothing, was all she had against the chill of the night air. She shivered once before she fell unconcious and realized faintly before she completly spiraled away into darkness that she had felt warm...


	2. Chapter 2

Sohma Hatori closed the door quietly behind him as he emerged from the small room that had been cleared for Serki and turned to Kyo, Shigure and Yuki.

"Well?" Kyo prompted, bristling in the silence, "Did she survive?"

"Yes, she will live, it would be wise to let her rest for a few days," Hatori replied, "Don't underestimate my skill as a doctor Kyo, I am yet to lose a patient. Now then, mind explaining what this is all about? Shigure wasn't exactly precise when he called me over at two in the morning."

"You hurt my feelings, Haa-san," Shigure gasped in fake surprise and hurt, then his eyes turned serious, "Things happened too fast anyhow, Yuki and Kyo were the ones who heard everything."

Yuki spoke up first, "It was simple, I heard a roar in the night. I thought maybe Kisa was out there and somehow she'd become a tiger and was possibly weak and lost and headed outside. That's when the idiot cat jumped down from the roof and we headed into the woods. I heard voices, a girls voice and the threating voice of another. After that a fight broke out and after the dust had settled, Sadnesan Serki was demanding answers for the extermination of the Sadnesan clan and after I had knocked him out, she apparently tried to erase our memories of seeing her and lost conciousness. That's when we brought her back to Sensei's house and he called you."

"Eh? I dare you call me idiot again, damn rat!" Kyo growled.

"Idiot." Yuki replied tonelessly.

"Did you say, Sadnesan?" Shigure asked as he stepped between the two.

"Yes." Yuki replied.

"They are the ancestrial allies of the Sohma clan. Both Sohma and Sadnesan clans knew of the others secrets and curses. It was during the feudal era of Japan, that the alliance was made. Sohmas may have lead, but the Sadnesan were the warriors that gave the Sohma clan strength and in turn, they were both protected and free to gain strength. I had heard that in Yokohama that the Sadnesan compound had been destroyed, but I did not know they had been killed, in fact its been years that any Sohma has had contact with a Sadnesan. This is something worth passing on to Akito..." Shigure answered.

"So what, they are cursed and they are Sohma warriors. Not that it matters to me, but whats the difference between Sohma and Sadnesan?" Kyo asked still furiously glaring at Yuki.

"We have fewer members of our family that are cursed and less choice when we become our respective zodiac animal. However almost all of the Sadnesan clan is cursed, but they do have one thing we Sohma's lack: Control. Serki was most likely a mountain lion becuase she wanted to be a mountain lion and had she been stronger, she would have changed back to human form when she was ready, however since she was very weak she did not transform for a very long time period. Whereas, when we are weak...well we all know what happens." Shigure replied, his eyes turning towards the room and a troubled expression on his face.

"We can all continue this lovely conversation in the morning, I am sure," Hatori spoke into the tense silence, "By the way, where's Tohru? Usually she would ahve shown up at one point by now."

"She's with Uo and Hana, a sleep over I believe, she'll be back tommorow and then we will have to explain a few things to her, won't we?" Yuki answered blithly ignoring Kyo's death glare.

"Yes and Yuki? Kyo? I want both of you to go and pick her up from her friends. If what Sadnesan-san said is true, anyone attached to the Sohma's isn't safe either. Tohru doesn't know what happened here, she could very well walk into them and never know..." Shigure explained, "I'd go with you, but Akito needs to know about this. Whether we like it or not, he's the one who can orgainize the family into safety better than anyone else. I'll go with Haa-san back to the main compound."

"Are we certain we should take this so seriously, Shigure? For all we know the girl had a high fever, she could have been delirious." Hatori asked.

"Its a little more serious than that, in the lead thugs pocket I pulled out the mark of the Daeusha clan, another clan with ancestrial ties with our clan. If the Sadnesan are our ancestral allies, then the Daeusha are our enemies. They are the reason why the Sohma and Sadnesan clans had to resort to utter secrecy. At one point normal people knew of us and our curse and were complelty at peace with our clans, till they began to spread bad gossip about our clans curses and we were forced to erase the memories of those who had known of us and to guard our secret more closely than we have ever had. The history books have had them written down as long extinct, destroyed in a final battle with the mixed armies of Sohma and Sadnesan. Yet it seems they have survived and will destroy every last member of the Sohma and Sadnesan clans for that defeat, if my guess is right. A old wounds are about to open and I don't know if we can push them back again. So whether or not Serki-san was delirious or not, the proof is in this seal that her story bears truth." Shigure answered as he pulled from the sleeve of his kimona a red, gold, and black symbol framing a skeleton dragon and tiger, each empty eye socket pilled with blood red rubies.

Hatori, Yuki, and Kyo shivered at the un-natural expressions on the tiger and dragon's boney faces.

"The Daeusha have returned." Shigure sighed simply as he pocketed the loathsem thing, "This will be proof enough for Akito to take action and know the full depth of this situation. I just hope Serki-san will be alright, she may know enough to help us against them."

"Don't think that way, Shigure," Yuki growled, "She's in pain in so many other ways. She's lost her entire family, her clan, and nearly her life to this. Don't go prying till she's ready to speak is all I have to say."

"Fine," Shigure replied as he held his hands up as though he were warding off a attack, "I'll wait but we need her help."


	3. Chapter 3

Serki's waking dreams turned towards the past, the pain in her heart spilling over into her dreams as the two merged, painfully...so much to remember, so much to try and to forget...yet she could never escape her dreams...nor the memories they revived from her mind to remind her...always...

_"Serki...don't try to behave older than you are, really its okay, little sister if your afraid of the storm, its okay to be afraid of the storm, we all have something to fear," Masao laughed as he sat beside a trembling little girl, who was no older than five as she struggled to control her fear. Moments later, Masao held the same trembling girl close to his heart as another terrible crash of lightening made the entire night appear bright and the compound walls tremble as thunder boomed through the darkness. She'd felt safe in the moment, clutched against her brother, safe from all danger..._

_Masao, you never failed to be there when I needed you the most...what will I do now, now that you are gone?_

_"Dammit Serki! You really have to be more careful, you know?" Kazuo growled as he returned from chasing off the bullies who had cornered her, "I know you aren't fully trained in everything yet, but still, avoid places like this. People who are here aren't great for you, as if those knuckle heads didn't already prove the point. Understand Ki-kun?" Then his expression had sofened as he tossled her hair once and lead her home..._

_Kazuo, you were the one who did everything you could to protect me and now that you are gone, how can I ever thank you enough for all that you did for me, my brothers?_

_Why couldn't I save you both? Why did you tell me to cross the wall that night, into utter safety, knowing you were both lying as you told me you'd be but a moment behind me? Why did I not see your lie? You were beaten bloody in both your forms and so was I for that matter, but we were together, brothers, and fighting for our home and loved ones. A Sadnesan never leaves their kith and kin behind, I wouldn't have left you or Kazuo to die had you not lied...I would have stayed till death took me away, instead, I ended waiting for you the the entire night at the forest and you never came..._

_Why did you save my life, knowing you would die and leave me in this pain? Why? _

The answer seemed so simple, _We love you, we knew you could move on..._and with those words, Serki awoke to a still and very quiet small room.

She was aware of a weight drapped across her feet and as she looked down, she saw the upper body of a brown haired girl who was sleeping soundly over her feet and lower legs, which were still asleep themselves as her numb muscles protested. Amused by the girl and concerned that she might wake her, Serki made small movements trying to both ease out from under her light weight, wake her sleeping muscles and not disturb her. It was obvious that she had been keeping vigil over her at some point.

Serki had almost managed to ease out when the fabric of the bedspread tickled the girls nose and a rather loud sneeze blew her cover as the girl rose up, rubbing her nose and groaning from sleep, in which two very sleepy eyes locked onto her own. A moment of silence and then...

"Oh my, you are awake! Thank goodness!" she exclaimned cheerfully, "I'm Honda Tohru, I am so happy that you are awake at last, Serki-san."

"Umm, happy to met you too, Tohru-san. How long have I been asleep?" she asked befuddled by the girls cheerfulness. How could anyone smile so sweetly and sound so cheerful in a single moment?

"Three days and speaking of that, I need to go call and tell Hatori-san the good news. Excuse me, but he did tell me to tell you not to get out of bed, its best you lie there and relax for a bit." Tohru answered as she rose abrubtly and headed for the door, but before leaving she turned back and gave a quick wave before slidding the door closed.

_What just happened? _she thought as she stared blankly at the screen door, puzzled by this. What was going on? She'd been asleep for _three _days? Had anything happened? Were all of the Sohmas still safe? Had things already begun? Her mind reeled question and worry after one another till she felt a little dizzy and decided sitting up wasn't the wised option after all.

* * *

"You are lucky to be alive," Hatori scolded as he changed the bandages on her left arm, "How long were you running about with wounds and being in this condition? If its more than a week, even though I am a doctor, I will strangle you. No one should ever push themselves to the point you did. And what happened to my stay in bed order? Are you really like Kyo over there? It was for your own good so I wouldn't have to do this!"

"I couldn't go anywhere for six weeks, my families compound burned down, and no one would help someone who was yenless and I'm sorry, I haven't ever been good at following orders to begin with." she growled back as he continued to change and clean the wound.

A disgusted snort erupted from Hatori as he continued his work.

"Six weeks? Did you not have family outside the compound the night it was destroyed, someone who could have cared for you?" Yuki asked, concern clouding his voice, his eyes disbelieving.

Before Hatori had arrived, Serki had managed to limp into the living room and satisfied her curiosity about her srurroundings. Then Hatori had arrived and upon sight of her had conducted a immediate examination and once satisfied had reverted his attention to her wounds.

"I wish I did, it would have meant someone other than me had survived," she sighed, "Thats why I headed for Tokyo in the first place, the Sohmas were my next best hope. I am really...owww that hurt...grateful that you took me in like this. You didn't have to and you all have taken a great risk by granting me sleeping space on Sohma property. They know one of us escaped and will come and try to hunt me here. You may have been better off..."

"Don't start that crap!" Kyo yelled breaking her sentence, "So what, these men, these real bastards want to kill you becuase you are from the Sadnesan clan and can trasform into a mountain lion? Who cares? I transform into a cat and aSohma. Same with the damn rat in the corner, and you are just at much risk as he or I, or even Shigure over there in the corner. They are the idiots for being so stupid in the first place. So quit! Quit punishing yourself."

"He's right," Shigure added, "We are too hunted now, remember? The Sohma clan has the same danger and could face the same fate your family did. But obviously you traveled here to warn us and help us, how could you help us, had you died, believing you were keeping us safe? Its noble, but not very helpful, Serki-san and really, I think our family could use help over nobility at this point."

Both responses stilled Serki as she considered the words and thought, _They care. They really do care about all of this. I was often told becuase of the Sohma influence they could be a bit cold, but this is entirely different from what I have been expecting. I expected to find a cold place and instead found warmth, amazing. And there responses to me have been so much like Kazuo and Masao. Could I possibly hope to find...a home again?_

"Everything alright, Serki-san?" Yuki asked as he sat on her opposite side from Hatori.

"I'm alright and I was just thinking and wanted to say, thank you. I'll do what I can to help the Sohmas. I promise on the graves of my clansmen and my honor." Serki replied, smiling for the first time in a very long time.

"Thats wonderful!" Shigure said as he answered her smile, "I'm glad you see things our way. You are more than welcome to stay here in my somewhat wrecked home as long as you like. Just don't break my house anymore than it already is. Not naming a particular, cough, Yuki and ,cough, Kyo. Fair warning Serki, if you hear any crashes around here, most of the time it will be those two."

"Aren't you a little to old for playing tattle tail and whinner?" Kyo growled warningly.


	4. Chapter 4

_I feel better today, _Serki thought as she stood on Shigure's porch, facing the sunrise, _My wounds have almost healed...soon I will be well enough to fare for myself, maybe find a job under a different name, make some money and not live off of Sohma generosity. Get back out there and do what I do best, gather information. Maybe I can track down the morons who were hired to destroy the Sadnesan clan and get that much revenge for their deaths. Masao, Kazuo..._

"Morning, you are up early Serki-san," Tohru called as she joined her, "You looked like you were thinking, everything well? If you ever want to talk, you know you can."

"I was just thinking that I feel much better today, Hatori-san is truly a excellent doctor, with any other and I would have still been laying on my back and how my brothers loved this time of day. Thats all Tohru-san," Serki replied as she gave a heavy sigh, "Do you need a hand with breakfast?" she asked.

"Please, Serki-san, call me Tohru or Tohru-kun. I'm happy you opened up to me a little, who were your brothers?" Tohru answered.

"Masao and Kazuo, the best brothers a soul coul ever hope to find..." Serki answered, "How about we go fix breakfast, shall we? The boys will be up soon."

"Oh, um, yes and thank you Serki-san, have you cooked before?" Tohru answered, slightly hurt by the sudden change in conversation but allowed it to pass, the shadows in Serki's eyes warned her not too push to far.

Serki smiled, "Go ahead and call me Serki-kun, if you want to be formal with someone like me, Tohru. Serki is fine too. I don't mind."

_How like you, I once was. Happy, cheerful, lovable...a free soul. You aren't chained to anything as you should be. Mine's has been latched to a stone and sinking rapidly to the bottom of the sea. I'll never be free again._

* * *

"Wow, Serki! I never knew you could cook so well!" Tohru exclaimed in joy as they sat out the last of breakfast.

"I used to do alot of cooking back for my family, expecially Masao and Kazuo when we'd go training together. They were truly aweful cooks, its amazing that before me they even survived their own food. Those were happier times though..." Serki laughed as she lost herself in memory again.

"Ah, good morning, ladies!" Shigure called as he entered the dining room, miming that he was being lead by his nose towards them, "Such a meal, what's the feast for?"

"Its not a feast, its called breakfast, Shigure-san!" Tohru laughed as he seated himself at the table.

"Ah so it is, and Serki-san, its good you are up and about this early. How do you feel?" Shigure asked as he seated himself beside Tohru and Serki.

"Better than I was, soon I'll be fully healed, then I'll go look for a job, using another name of course." Serki replied, "I appreciate your generosity, but I am not a bum. I can't sit about like this the rest of my life, waiting for _them _to show up."

"No of course you can't, thats true, but how old are you, Serki-san?" Shigure replied.

"I'm sixteen, why do you ask?" Serki answered, stunned by his question.

"Then shouldn't you consider going back to school? The school in this area is free and several Sohmas go there, including Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo. Which speaking of, where are those two? Its a tragedy that they miss such a breakfast such as this." Shigure suggested.

"Kyo is still asleep, its going to rain today and Yuki's at his secret base." Tohru answered.

"I guess I hadn't thought of it, up till this point I had been trying to survive and I came to undestand just how much you can get to miss the simple things that make life liveable. Going back to school would be nice, but I cannot continue to be a burden upon the Sohmas, and I have my own agenda to take care of. I want to find those who killed my family and repay them for all they have done to me and my clan." Serki replied, her eyes turning dark as she stopped eating.

"Yes that it is true, but you are never a burden to me or the rest of the family for that matter. Thanks to you, the non-cursed members of the Sohma family are being quietly slipped out of Tokyo and sent to safer grounds, and while the cursed members of the family, plus Akito, will be the last ones to leave, we, if things go smoothly, will be safe. We know becuase of you and we plan on helping you. We don't plan on running forever and want them to stop at any and all costs. So, go back to school, stay here under my roof as long as you like, and all will be fine. I swear, you are doing what Tohru did when she first came here." Shigure answered.

"Then at least I have done some good for the Sohmas, it'll make up for the deadly sin of going for blood for what these men did to my life. I'll stay and go to school, so long as you don't mind. I really appreciate your kindness." Serki sighed in defeat, she couldn't argue with him and he was right.

"Still, I hope you don't plan on wearing what you were wearing the first night you came here to school, do you?" Shigure added turning off the subject.

"Umm, I don't have much of choice, do I? I've been borrowing Tohru's clothes the past couple days and I have very little money to go clothing shopping with actually..." Serki replied, blushing as she remembered the rather ratty pair of martial arts pants and shirt she had just recently washed upstairs. They were threadbare in embarrasing places.

"Well, you are in luck, the school uniforms are free, but you won't always be going to school, will you?" Tohru added as she lost herself in thought.

Shigure gave a small laugh, "Then I suppose we better call Ayame."

"But he only makes maid and nurse outfits, thats not normal clothing, Shigure!" Yuki growled as he walked into the dining room, "Want to make a spectacle of Serki or something?"

"Oh, phesh, like Ayame wouldn't mind designing some normal clothes, plus, once he sees the state of Serki-san's clothes, he'll agree to anything." Shigure laughed.

"I didn't think they were that aweful," Serki said meekly, keenly aware how two men, possibly three, had gotten involved in her wardrobe.

"I'll call." Shigure said simply.

Cold stares met her and she decided she'd let them make the call.

* * *

A/N: Okay, since the previous three chapters have been a bit dark and dramtic, I thought a nice touch of comedy would be nice. Please remember though, the action is going to start picking up pretty soon, I am just setting Serki in with the Sohmas and Tohru.

Please review, you know ya wanna!

SS17


	5. Chapter 5

"Hmm, I think thats truly you, Serki-kun!" Ayame exclaimed as Serki emerged from Mine's clutches wearing appeared to be traditional clothing, with a modern twist.

"You look amazing Serki," Shigure began before he was bowled over by Yuki and Kyo.

"Sick bastard, coming from you, thats criminal!" Kyo growled.

Teary eyed, Shigure replied, "I was merely saying she looked nice, whats wrong with that?"

"Becuase you are a perv." Kyo and Yuki replied in unison.

"You are both so cruel to me, I give you a home, put a roof over your heads and even when you tear it up, I still welcome you home and you beat me up, me a old man, over such a little thing as a complement." Shigure bemoaned and Serki laughed. She could see the mischevious glint in Shigure's eyes and see the looks of outrage on both boys faces. Yuki silently fuming and Kyo looking like a tea kettle ready to boil over.

"You are not old Shigure-san and Serki-san, you actually laughed!" Tohru piped up.

"Such a beautiful voice!" Ayame added.

"You are worse than Shigure," Yuki growled.

"Little brother, you judge me way to harshly. What better than the sound of joy in the voice of another? Its something I would like to hear more in your voice, Yuki." Ayame countered.

"He's right," Serki added, "My brothers used to say the same thing."

Yuki said nothing as he sat staring at the floor and Serki picked up the sudden chill in the atmosphere of the room. Obviously, she decided, these brothers have been alienated from one another somehow. _How sad, they still have one another and Yuki seems to despise his older brother, when I'd gladly give my life to have Masao and Kazuo back. Does he not see?_

"Well, thats one outfit decided," Tohru said, cheerfuly changing the subject, "You need to go pick out more. Want me to help?"

"Certainly,"Serki replied as they headed to the back of the store again.

"So, she's the one who warned us?" Ayame asked in all seriousness.

"Yes, she was in horrible shape when Yuki and Kyo found her, today she's doing very well and that truly is the first time I've ever heard her laugh. I'm glad she's at least laughing now maybe she can become someone who is happier than she is now." Shigure answered.

"Haa-san told me and thats why I don't mind letting her have her pick of what I have. She's most likely saved Mine's life and mine as well. She'll be the first one to leave and then I'll follow. Seems like I am the least obvious one to leave, imagine that?" Ayame replied.

"I'd never imagine..." Yuki growled, clearly irritated by Ayame.

"You know I feel terrible leaving you behind, you'll be one of the last ones to leave. You are still my little brother, it kills me that I have to leave you to fend for yourself with all this going on. Stay safe when I'm away." Ayame sighed, none of his earlier dramatics in his voice.

Yuki surprised replied, "I'll be fine."

"Still, in all seriousness, it'll be Yuki, Kyo, Haru, Hiro, and Kisa who closest to the last. They are school children, if they simply disappeared from school or worse yet, all at once, their flight would be public. Kisa and Hiro we can get out during their next term break and pip it up as some illness. Kyo and Haru shouldn't be that difficult, you Yuki, however, will be a pain in the neck. Being the Prince is going to make your departure a loud one, no matter how quietly you try to do it. Of course, when you go, Tohru will go with you. She's connected to the Sohmas now, and they'll kill her too. Still, I know Hatori, myself and Akito will be the final ones to leave. This is defently dangerous, the family has never had to break apart like this before. Even with Serki's help, we are still in a mess. What's worse is Akito has insisted that she leave with us and Akito." Shigure sighed. He'd been thinking about this the entire time.

"You've got to be joking me," Kyo growled, "He'll try to bring her under his thumb."

"Heh, I'd like to see him try. One thing the reason why the clans of Sadnesan and Sohma never merged with one another is that no head of the Sohma family was ever able to completly bring a Sadnesan under their control. Our curse defends us from the Sohma clan leader, we have known for generations, just what the clan leaders of the Sohma family are like. Why do you think the Sadnesan estate was in Yokohama instead of Tokyo?" Serki said as she returned with Tohru and Mine, holding a bagfull of clothes, still wearing the original clothes that had spurred all of this..

"Really?" Shigure asked, surprised by her appearance and statement.

"Yes, its true. Its something that was recorded in our clan's earliest records, back when the Sadnesan and Sohma clans originaly allied themselves to one another. Originaly, the Sohma clan leader attempted to force the Sadnesan members to join them. It obviously didn't work. We are allies, yes, but no Sadnesan has ever bent a foot to help the Sohmas unless they geniuenly desired to help on their own free will. Akito is welcome to try, but he will not control me." Serki added.

"Thats defently interesting..." Shigure thought aloud, "Anyway, have you decided what you want?"

"I have and thank you Ayame, one day, I'll pay you back in full for all of this." Serki replied.

"You already have" Ayame answered as he gazed fondly at Mine.

* * *

_The flames raged in a firery inferno as the massive building and its grounds roared under heat and light from the blaze that leapt from building to building...object to object. In the furious red light of the flames, a bear, a wolf and a mountain lion stood fighting, desperatly trying to push for the outer wall of the burning compound and breaking through the line of men and women who kept them from escaping the firery prye that promised to be their grave._

_"We have to break through!" a wolf cried as it leapt away from a gunshoot, "If we don't, the others won't be able to escape this inferno! No one will survive"_

_"Every step we press forward, Masao, we are forced back ten. The elderly and youngest have already persished, we are trapped. I made the mistake of checking in one of the family homes... We can't escape the blaze and the more we fight them, the more of us that die. This is mad! Why? Why attack us? What have we done wrong?" The bear cried beside the wolf_

_"The answer is simple," a cold and heartless voice laughed as dark and masked man stepped towards the struggling trio, "You are abominations against the natural order. You are freaks that have no place, you do not deserve to live. You deserve to die like the freaks you all are and the flames will scorch away any trace that such creatures as you existed. Believe me, I am doing the world a favor. You need to die."_

_"I'll kill you," the mountain lioness cried as she leapt over both bear and wolf, "You have no right to decide what is a abomination and what is not. It is You who goes against the order of things. You have killed elders, you have killed the childeren of this clan, and you may kill me, but I swear, I'll make you pay for this, by the blood of my fallen cla-."_

He stopped the tape.

"Now then," a tall, somewhat attractive man, asked the gathered group in the small underground room that had assembled, "What do you think? Men who can turn into a bear or wolf, or a woman who can turn into a mountain lion. They were, all of them, dangerous. Who was right? Which is correct? What is the truth?"

"The abomination should die, Master Daeusha was right. Any perversion of nature does not deserve to exist." A short, timid looking woman replied, fire burning in her eyes

"Very good, yet how are they perversions?" he asked.

"They can turn into a powerful beast and wreck havoc, they can control those animal forms, and through their Sohma connections, they have been able to influence large scale decisions made by those higher up. They are slowly twisting this country to suit their own needs." A man towards the back of the group answered, fierce rage burning in his eyes..

"Correct-" the first speaker replied when he was interupted by the opening of the room's door and the assembled men outside gesturing he join them, "Pardon me, comrades. I'll return."

"Yes?" he asked once he joined them in the hallway.

"How are your recruiting lessons going, Telaiji?" A familiar cold voice asked.

"Very well, Sir. It is easy to invoke a fanatical rage in them and then things are all too easy for us then. Soon, we'll be able to exact our revenge upon the Sohma clan as well. The Sadnesan clan have paid for their past crimes against the Daeusha clan, but the Sohmas are yet to pay." Telaiji answered with a smirk.

"No, the Sadnesan have not paid in full yet, one of their blood still lives, the one who claimed my sight in this eye still lives. Till the mountain lion dies, the Sadnesan are still our enemies and the blood has been upaid. The Sohma and Sadnesan clans both should have known that it was never over when they believed they defeated my ancestors army. We are the survivors of the Daeusha clan and we will avenge our clan ourselves, won't we brother?" came the disgusted answer as a some what shortier and more muscled man revealed three raged lines across his right eye and a glazed over eye.

"Yes, I was mistaken. But we will avenge our ancestors and succeed where they failed. I'll be happy when the last Sohma and Sadnesan die at our feet." Telaiji answered.

"That I'll agree to." was the satisfied response.

* * *

A/N: Okay, I went for dramatics in this one, little comedy, but I am still trying to keep things somewhat serious and breaking the tension with a little of the usual give and take between the family members. 


	6. Chapter 6

"Class," Mayu growled to the assembled students in the noisy homeroom class, "I'l like to introduce you to Ryukaiba Serki, she's a new student to our school, so all of you do your best to not completly petrify her. If you do anythung untoward, you'll have me to answer to. Serki-san, please take a seat."

" 'Ryukaiba'?" Kyo hissed as she sat between Kyo, Yuki, Tohru and her friends, "Why such a stupid name?"

"If I go parading about as a Sadnesan, we have a problem, don't we?" Serki growled back, she had her focus on everyone and everything in the room, though a group of mumbling and angry girls caught her attention, when they caught her gaze, she clearly heard a audible hiss from them as they turned forward.

_What the? What is their problem? _Serki thought as she arched a eyebrow in surprise. _Still, nothing suspicious otherwise, other than their attitudes. I had forgotten how rude some people could be in high school..._

She found out what their problem was after class...

"Hey! Hold it sister, what do you think a new student like you is doing sitting with the Prince?" the oldest of them demanded.

Serki turned and gave them her darkest glare, "First off, I am no sister of yours, and grateful that we are not related, if we were, I'd disown you immediatly and as for the Prince, I have not a clue what you are talking about."

"Sohma Yuki is the Prince of this school, and we are his fan club, we get first dibs on anything to do with him, so next time sit somewhere else." the speaker answered.

"Really? Well, thats a shame, I never knew such, my, my, my big mistake, but before you go trying to lay claims on people, why not try and see if they truly want to your attention. For all you know, you are a headache for him and such a shame, he really seems like a nice guy." Serki replied, the mischevious gleam coming to her eye. The mountain lion was known for being a trickster in her own right...

"Shut up you, you are a underclassman and new student to boot! You don't know how Yuki-kun feels or how we feel about him and you better pay attention to us!" the leader fumed, her girls knodding in agreement.

"Tseh, you are truly pathetic, ever believe in letting the guy live a little? Shesh I can't stand to talk to you." Serki growled as she walked away.

"Yeah thats right, run away little underclassmen..." they taunted as she walked.

"Whatever..." she laughed.

"Wow, I'm really impressed, you are the first one to ever tell those girls off." A new voice laughed as she joined her.

"Hmm?" Serki asked.

"Serki-san, right? I'm Arisa Uotani or Uo-chan to my friends. Still, I'll give you points your the first to tell those pin heads off, so tell me, why did you do it? Was it fun?" Uotani continued.

"Call it something along the line of sisterly pride. My oldest brother...before he passed away, was considered in the same way Yuki-san is and the girls that used to do believe they belonged with him behaved the same way. It was really annoying actually, though putting them in their place felt like old times. Masao never really appreciated all the attention they gave him...he never even pretended to like it. So I imagined that Yuki-san most likely felt the same way. As for how it felt, it felt like taking a aspirin after a massive headache." Serki answered honestly, remembering the gigling idiots who used to try and drap themselves around her brother and be completly ignorant of the revolted expression on his face. They never saw that his eyes always belonged to Maya, not them...

"Ah, Uo-chan! I see you have met Serki-kun!" Tohru said as she joined them.

"Yeah, she's a real tough cookie, she just put those idiot fan club girls in their place." Uotani laughed, "Though seriously, I never thought of it that way. I'm sorry you lost your brother."

"Her waves, they are different and stranger than either Kyo-kun or Yuki-kun's waves." another girl spoke as she joined them.

Serki and Tohru both froze in place, Tohru met Serki's eyes and Serki met Tohru's eyes and Tohru was the first to speak, "H-h-hello Hana-chan! I didn't see you there! You haven't met Serki yet have you? Serki-san this is one of my best friends Hana-chan and Hana-chan, this is Serki-san."

"Pleasant waves, Serki-san." Hanajima replied simply.

"Ehh, pleasant waves to you too, Hana-chan." Serki answered.

_What are waves? _She wondered.

* * *

Shigure joined Hatori in his house in the Sohma estate. The walls of his home and office were almost barren now, leaving only the picture of Kana to decorate the room. They seated themselves at his table and lite one anothers cigarettes. Taking a deep breath Shigure began, "I see you are almost ready to leave Ha'ri."

"I am also willing to bet you haven't even began to prepare to leave, have you?" Hatori replied.

"Why must you be so mean? Of course I have been getting ready, with Tohru-kun's help of course." Shigure answered in a hurt tone.

"Poor Tohru-san," Hatori replied, "However, how is Serki doing? I haven't seen her in a bit and I need to do a checkup on her."

"Feeling fiesty enough to tackle school with Yuki, Kyo, Tohru and the others. Then again, she's always fiesty. To hear her and Kyo in the same room you'd think htey were brother and sister or worse yet, a married couple." Shigure laughed, "But she's a good kid. Of all the people in the world, why her? She traveled all the way from Yokohama in the state she was in to warn us of the Dauesha. Not many people could have traveled that distance in good health or had the will power to do it. It certainly is admirable."

"I had that particular thought of her, she's strong yes, but why any should anyone suffer whats happening now? Its not any fault of the Sohmas or the Sadnesan that we are this way. It really doesn't make sense why these fanatics would be out to destroy us. It really doesn't add up." Hatori replied as he dropped his cigarette into the ashtray.

"Revenge is really hard to make heads or tails of anyway, its foreign to us, so of course we don't understand. But I have been doing some research, much to Mit-chan's horror, on this. Its interesting to know that before the war between the alliance of the Sohmas and the Sadnesan against the Daeusha, that neither the Sadnesan nor the Sohmas were cursed with our respective curses. Only after that final climatic battle did the curses take hold of either the Sohma or Sadnesan clan. Its said that the son of the clan head at the time went to hug his wife and turned into a tiger and the same with the others that emerged from then on. From this I believe that our curses may have been laid upon us by the Daeusha clan, since apparently they aren't destroyed like they were once believed to be. If that it is true, Hatori, then the surviving members of the Dauesha may hold the answer we need to break the curse both upon our family and Serki. Besides, as a Sadnesan, her life has almost been half lived." Shigure answered as he sobered and took on a serious tone. His earlier humor gone, his eyes gleaming fiercely.

"That is interesting, but if the Dauesha exist, they certainly never will tell us how to break the curses. If anything, Shigure they may try to increase the power of the curses. We should be cautious before persuing them for answers the survivors may not know or care to let us know. And whats this about Serki, she's young, how can it be half lived?" Hatori replied.

"The risk would be worth it...I'd chance it myself for the one I love, if not myself, for everyone, to be finally free. No more fear, no more distance...you could find someone to love once again Hatori. We could be set free at long last. You need to melt your heart my friend, its been long enough. Anyway, about Serki, yes, her life is defently at the halfway point. At first glance the Sadnesan curse doesn't seem as severe as the Sohma curse, but she'll die by age forty, if she's lucky. Their curse does not allow them to see their golden years, the years which, back during the time the Sadnesan were cursed was much younger than it is now. Back then, forty was starting day for old age. Every member of the Sadnesan who came before her have meet this fate. In many ways, they are like Akito's part of our curse, except on a much grander and less cynical scale. If the curse cannot be broken for her...she'll die." Shigure answered.

"Don't speak of such, you know what Akito would...might do. If I was to allow another in it may not be myself who is hurt, it may be her, not me, which I could not live with. However, point taken Shigure, but how could we go about this? You know full well no Sohma could walk up to any of these...people...without being killed." Hatori sighed as he paled at the thought. The vivacious woman he'd saved dying becuase of her curse...it was unimaginable.

"We may not, Ha'ri, but Serki can and so can zodiac members who can commincate with pratical animals capable of gathering information fast and reporting it. I've been gathering information from my friends and so has Yuki and Kyo. I'd ask Ayame, but he never take me seriously. Haru and Momiji are out, for starters cows and rabbits prowling the streets would be slightly obvious. Same with Hiro and Lisa, Rin, Ritsu, Kagura, and the rest, including you Ha'ri." Shigure answered.

"Anything useful turn up yet?" Hatori sighed, satisfying himself with a ice glare at Shigure for leaving him out of this scheme.

"No, the Dauesha are clever and they cover their tracks very well. Yet who doesn't talk to their dog or cat on occasion or better yet, never notice the rat not interely visible? They'll slip up and then we'll all learn something." Shigure sighed in disgust...if they'd only _tell him _what he wanted to know, the headache of attempting to learn something from Yuki and Kyo would be great, he decided.

"Still, whats Serki doing in this grand scheme of things? You mentioned her earlier." Hatori continued.

"She's dressed as a yankee and contacting former informats for the Sadnesan, not as herself of course." Shigure answered after a long pause.

"WHAT!" Hatori bellowed in outrage.

"Please don't be made Ha'ri, or the next shot I get will be most agonizing , she insisted and decided on her own to do this. Besides who was I to turn away the eager?" Shigure replied trying to placate the clearly outraged doctor.

"You are such a idiot," Hatori growled, "If some punk hurts her, its on your head."

"Why me?" Shigure answered, "Besides, Serki can handle herself. Still she most likely is with her contacts by this point."

"You better hope so." Hatori growled.

"You have a soft spot for Serki, don't you Hatori?" Shigure teased and was answered by Hatori 'escorting' him to the door and suddenly finding himself outside.

"Idiot!" Was the last thing her heard before the door was slid shut.

"Interesting." Shigure chuckled as he headed home.


	7. Chapter 7

"Whoa! Whoa! You have to be kidding me! There is no way you going out in the streets looking like...like...a yankee!" Kyo cried in outrage as Serki emerged from the girls lockeroom wearing a black trenchcoat, dark tan long skirt, and a similar sleeveless shirt. Complete with a mask.

"This is the best way for me to get ahold of old clan contacts though, Kyo-Kyo. They know "Lioness" when they see her and don't fear being killed for being in contact with Sadnesan Serki. To them Lioness and Serki are two different people. Besdes, this is basically what I wore on the way here from Yokohama and when I would gather information for my clan. To you its highly noticeable, to normal people, a seeming deliquent snooping around is no biggie in comparsion to a Sadnesan looking around, especially now. Think boyo, you are just gonna have to deal with it." Serki laughed. Tormenting Kyo had become a form of entertainment for her, not that she didn't care about him. but his resemblence to Kazuo and his first reaction to her Lioness ruse had been about the same, though he had keel hauled her to the nearest changing room and tried to make her change into something more 'sensible' as he had termed it.

"She's right you know," a new boy said calmly as he joined them, "Hello I don't think we've met before, but I have defently heard of a Sadnesan Serki. I'm Hatsuharu Sohma, its great to finally meet you."

"Okay well fine, go looking like a punk for all I care, but I will not allow you to go alone. I'm coming with you to make certain some idiot deliquent doesn't hurt you anymore...though don't take that the wrong way! I just don't want you hurt again after all you did for us." Kyo growled

"I think I'll come along as well." Haru added.

"Pleased to meet you Hatsuharu-san," Serki asked with a slight grin, "It seems I don't have much of a choice, do I? With you both insisting like you are. Fine come, I won't stop you."

"Call me Haru-kun, and given what I have been told about you and the whats happening now, no, not a choice." Haru replied.

"Still one thing before we leave, no matter what, do not do anything unless I tell you to do so. If a man punches me in the face, you both have to stand there and let him do it. Do you understand? This is not a game, this is more than deliequents and idiots pretending to be yankees. This is business and if one thing goes wrong, weeks of advance preparation could be the least thing to happen. Most likely we'll be dealing with the men who wan to hunt the Sohma clan down, including myself." Serki sighed as she turned to face them both. She had to be sure they were fully aware of the gravivity of the situation. Any false move and it could all be over. Neither answered her and she had expected as much from them, but the aware look in their eyes was enough for her. It would suffice for the lack of their answers.

* * *

"Ah, Lioness-san!" A scrungy looking man wearing the threadbare remains of a suit called out as they entered a alley.

"Its good to see you," Serki replied as she offered him her arm and allowed him to clasp her hand fiercly before they broke apart, "What news have you for me Sayou-san?"

"Always business with you, isn't it, Lioness-kun. But as you know, I always know the news, better than those whats you call 'em? Reporters, thats it! They may know the news on the topside, but they never know whats going on the bottomside and whats between. Ask and I shall answer." Sayou answered.

"Thats good then," Serki laughed, "So, what can you tell me of these Dauesha that keep recruiting people? Whats going on with them? I was interested in contacting them."

"Ah, even for a deliquent, you are a lady, Lioness-san. Its best to avoid those demons. They swoop down the streets, searching for anyone hopeless enough to believe their story. Sad truth is, too many are just hopeless enough to believe their stories and they follow them. They believe their every word and then they...change. You can tell the difference between them and the normal idiots wandering the streets. They are always searching, always accusing anyone who passes them of being a 'abomination'. Which is ridiculous. Yet what they offer these people in return for this, I don't know. None I have spoken of will speak of what they get out of joining with the Daeusha." Sayou answered her, clearly troubled and preturbed the news he bore.

"Hmm, that is interesting, Sayou-san. Can you tell me where they met? I don't think I'll join them, but you know curiosity killed the cat." Serki pressed.

"At the east side docks of the city, there's a old warehouse that one of the leaders of the Dauesha owns and thats where they gather. But don't go. I would like to know your real name one of these days Lioness-kun, you have charmed me all of this time as to who you really are. Don't be hurt by them, they are demons." Sayou replied.

Serki closed the distance between the two of them and pressed her hand against his forehead and whispered as she willed all of his memories of her for the past couple weeks to vanish, "My name was Serki-kun, if you ever remember me."

She turned then and left him. Silently Kyo and Haru followed her out into the daylight outside the alley.

"Why'd you erase his memories, Serki? He cared about you." Haru asked.

"Anyone in close connection to a Sadnesan is in danger, he's told me all he safely can without crossing that line. Its the best way I know to protect him, considering where we are heading. Had I been stronger the night Kyo and Yuki found me, I would have erased their memories of me to keep them safe too. I don't particularly care if anyone knows I can turn into a mountain lion at will, but if knowing I turn into that puts someone in danger, then erasing their memory of me is the best way to keep them safe...When we go to those docks, you must remember everything I told you both earlier. If things go smoothely, we all can learn more...if things develop a glitch, well then, we really have a major problem. To be killed would be the least thing that would happen...the worst would be interogation and then death. They mean business and why just kill us, if they can learn who is connection with us before we die. We do not want the betrayal of our family and friends upon us. Lets do this the easy way."

"Ah damn it all, would you quit worrying about everyone else for a change! We know, we heard you the first time you said it. You keep doing this and I dunno, for some odd reason it keeps pissing me off, but anyway, quit worrying. Worry about yourself for once. We'll take care of you, even if you wont for yourself. I don't know about the damn rat, but I'll do what I have to. Just don't take that the wrong way." Kyo spat as he turned to face Serki.

"I think what Kyo is saying is 'Everything will be fine.' I'll behave I promise, you don't have to worry. We all have someone involved in this that we don't want hurt." Haru added in a calmer tone than Kyo's.

"Good then, lets go," Serki replied, "and thank you both so much for doing this."

Haru winked and Kyo scuffed as they headed off towards the sea and the docks and what awaited them by the harbor line.

* * *

A/N: Okie-dokie, I decided it was time to get the plot on a roll, so, here we are. Hope you enjoyed everyone!

Star' 


End file.
